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Londar
Londar, previously named Londaran Arin (elven for Distant Home), is a moderately sized kingdom in the north and west part of the mainland Athelon. At the northernmost point, a range of mountains known as the Crown Mountains act as a natural barrier into the frozen northlands and beyond. To it's east, another range of mountains form a barrier between Londar and its neighbouring kingdom, Raelic. The south and western parts of Londar are protected by the waters from The Abyss and The Eternal Sea respectively. Londar is one of the three great Northern Borderland countries, the other two being Raelic and Tylorn. Londar is a very mountainous environment with vast stretches of flaming, red farmland in the flatter, more southern areas. Forests of boreal and deciduous evergreens dot the landscape in the colder reaches while more temperate woods and forests can be found in the Londar lowlands. A turquoise lake features prominently in the heart of the kingdom, The Jewel of Hyvern. The capital of the kingdom, Hyvern City is situated between the Highback Mountains and The Jewel of Hyvern. The current ruler of the kingdom, King Raxis, has ruled peacefully for the last 36 years without major incident and succeeding him are his two sons, Prince Paxil, aged 24, and his younger brother, Prince Tordil, aged 13. History The complete history of the kingdom is a little spotty in areas as records of those times have long since been lost, exaggerated or destroyed during the first and second great wars of the north but it is estimated that Hyvern City was built around six centuries ago, near to the year Y3A-1000. The city was originally built by elves as a stronghold and then, later evolved into the thriving city seen today. It is speculated that the elves spent approximately one hundred years cultivating the land, first imbuing magic into the surrounding areas and creating the extremely fertile soil of the Firefields of Londar, then enchanting the waters of The Jewel of Hyvern, and finally enriching the lives of the wildlife, making the animals of the land healthy and strong. Mutations in creatures such as the Jacktyl are speculatively due to this enrichment. First War of the North At some point around Y3A-1100, tensions between the elves and the recent arrival of the humans from the east drastically and rapidly spun out of control and reached a tipping point with the Hyvern Uprising. Hundreds died in the ensuing bloodbath and even after the fighting had stopped, the bloodshed continued as the elves that survived and managed to escape the uprising were hunted down and killed. Among those killed in the uprising was the High Priestess of Londar and as retribution for her death, the elves of Elhaíg began forming an army. Five years passed before the elves returned, but when they finally did, they swept through the countryside like a great tidal force. Though the humans fought valiantly, the city was ultimately lost and the humans were forced to flee north to the mountains. The humans eventually won the war with the aid of the dwarves but the victory had cost them greatly. Thousands had died, villages and food stores were destroyed and their capital city had been set aflame and left to burn. Though much has since been repaired, remnants of the battles can still be seen as ancient, broken weapons and ruined buildings lie scattered throughout the kingdom. Post First War of the North Though the elves of Elhaíg had left Londar to the humans following the war, the surviving elves of the uprising were not quite so forgiving of what had occurred. They had been forced from their homes and made to flee for their lives while watching family members burn in the streets. They had been hunted and slaughtered like animals for over five years while the Elhaíg elves did nothing to aid them. Their High Priestess had been murdered in cold blood. Forgiveness was unacceptable. Small bands of guerilla commandos fought across the kingdom, periodically attacking those attempting to trade and travel, hiding in treelines and setting traps across the country. Travel became dangerous and frequently required escort guards. Villages were periodically raided, their people slaughtered and goods looted. Even travelling via river had risks as arrows from either side would unexpectedly rain down upon them. The elves struck out at random and were swift in their attacks, leaving only carnage in their wake. Over the years, the rulers of Londar tried numerous times to hunt down the elves and put an end to their menace but the elves were a scattered and disorganised force that proved to be difficult in tracking down and eradicating. The elves had no ruler to whom the humans could target, no single strike that could end their attacks. Worse was that the elves who were finally captured were useless for providing information as they didn't know the locations any of the other groups or what their next target would be. The only consistent piece of information they could gather was the name they call themselves: Thar'dau. The Birds of Fire. To this day, the Thar'dau remains a dangerous threat. Following the end of the First War of the North, the kingdom was in complete disarray. The King, the Council of Elders and most of the royal line had been killed in the war, leaving the only heir to the throne a 9-month old baby who had nobody to govern in his stead. The political strength of the country was weaker than it had ever been before and it was only the tentative alliance with the dwarves that dissuaded a further attack from anybody seeking to take advantage of the situation. Raelic, a neighbouring kingdom to the east, saw this as an opportunity. For over fifty years, the Raelian King had coveted the kingdom of Londar, seeking a way in which to claim it as his own. The humans who initially discovered Londar had come from the region Raelic now occupied and thus, to his logic, the kingdom should now rightfully belong to him, but Raelic was still relatively newly formed, having only been officially established some three hundred years ago and the humans of Londar did not consider themselves a part of Raelic any more than Raelic did of the southern kingdoms beyond Al-Kra'sil. War had been considered time and again but their active military wasn't nearly strong enough to fight against the combined might of both the elves and humans, it would take too long and cost too much to fund an army that could. With the elves now gone, the attack had been possible but he had missed his chance and the recent dwarven alliance now posed an even larger problem. Unbenownced to him, the dwarven alliance was rapidly failing as the human part of the agreement made by Renoveld Borea was not being honoured. When Renoveld had fallen in battle, the governors who took over considered the agreement null and void, angering the dwarves who had already come to their aid and fulfilled their part of the obligation. Feeling cheated, the dwarves retreated into their mountain stronghold and ceased all communication for years to come. With the Londar-Dwarven alliance still perceptively in effect, the Raelian king held from launching an attack to claim the weakened Londar and proposed a deal instead. Londar was still in desperate need of food and materials, the fires of the lowlands had been devastating and stores were critically low. Across the kingdom, thousands of people were on the brink of starvation. Raelic offered food and supplies enough to rebuild their kingdom on the condition that Londar would become a vassal state, in service to Raelic. Begrudgingly and with no other options available, they agreed to the terms. The assistance Raelic provided in getting Londar back to its former glory was a blessing that people celebrated across the kingdom. Food aplenty was distributed to the hundreds of villages and new tools and equipment were provided, replacing their old and worn-out ones. Upon initial glance, Raelic appeared to be spending their entire reserve of gold in order to help the floundering kingdom. But as Londar slowly began to prosper once more, each year the supplies offered grew smaller until they eventually dwindled to nothing. Just ten years after the end of First War of the North, Raelic declared that they would no longer be supporting Londar in its regrowth and would instead now be seeking tributes in the form of gold. While Londar was allowed to remain mostly as its own country with its own laws and rulings, Raelic imposed a system of tax onto them: Ten percent of all earnings of the kingdom were to be sent directly to Raelic as payment for their support. Land taxes and tithes had never been in use before and the introduction of Ryls as a form of currency changed the very foundation of how the country functioned. Nobles and knights that had been gifted fiefdoms as a reward for serving in the First War of the North scrambled to find funds, resorting to forcing their workers to provide more or accept less. As each rank of the hierarchy was pressured to find the funds needed by those above, the severity of those affected rippled downwards until those at the lowest rungs were forced down into poverty. Within just a couple of years, the number of sick and beggars found within the cities and towns had increased a hundred times over. Second War of the North Over four hundred years passed with the quality of life for its citizens being made increasingly dire. Kings and queens had come and gone in rapid succession with illnesses, the Thar'dau elves were growing bolder in their raids. The population had grown exponentially with the passage of time, ruling costs had steadily risen, resulting in an increase of taxes forced upon the lower classes and the sheer number of poverty-stricken individuals that had nowhere to live and no money to buy food was staggeringly high. Relations with the dwarves had soured considerably since the First War of the North as they had long since given up on ever receiving their part of the deal struck and were stubborn in their refusal to cooperate any further. . . . . . . . . Outcomes of the war: Hyvern is destroyed and a significant part of the lower city collapses into the river. The Prime Legion is proven and firmly earns themselves their name. The Northern Borderlands agreement is established between Londar, Raelic and Tylorn. As part of the alliance deal, each year the kingdoms will send thirty of their best new recruits to join the Prime Legion. The other kingdoms are free to keep their own standing army in addition to this. (Tylorn withholds their best soldiers for their own army and instead sends prisoners and other wrong-doers to join the Prime Legion). Though the Prime Legion doesn't technically answer to any one of the kingdoms (They take orders from the collective council of the three kingdoms), their base of operations is in Londar. Members of the army are welcome in any of the cities and must be provided with free food, drink and lodging for the duration of their stay. It has been over one hundred years since the last war and Londar has been at tentative peace since. Culture Many of the inhabitants of Londar are workers, primarily as farmers working to feed the kingdom or as loggers creating timber for fuel in the furnaces or as building materials. Hunters, fishermen and craftsmen are also common roles among the populace, though less in demand. Hyvern City is more widely renown for its immense army, The Prime Legion. Formed shortly after the First War of the North, the legion is the largest army to have ever been mobilised. Though the standing army is comprised of only five thousand troops, they are each trained from childhood to become the best fighters in the world. During wartime, it is the law that every able-bodied man must join the legion and fight for their kingdom. If the legion were to be mobilised today, over fifteen thousand people would be a part of it (Almost one-third of the entire population of the kingdom). Twice per year, every year, a grand festival, The Blue Moon Celebration, is held in Hyvern City, once each at the coming of spring and at harvest time. Massive amounts of food and commerce are brought to the city to be sold and people from all over attend in great numbers, bringing with them exotic animals and fruits, entertainment and spectacles that dazzle and amaze. More money is spent during a single evening at the festival than in the entire rest of the year. Geography Londar can be split into two subregions. To the north, in the Highlands of Londar, the terrain is very mountainous, cold and contains forests of boreal and deciduous trees. Protecting the northern borders of the kingdom lies the impenetrable range of mountains known as the Crown Mountains. Few people have ever dared travel further north due to the extremely inhospitable conditions. Cold winds and rugged terrain make passage near impossible and even airships have trouble staying airborne with the tight passes and unpredictable weather. Many of the inhabitants of the highlands have important roles in maintaining the growth of the kingdom, with Northshire and Skarhorn being primarily a town of hunters and gatherers, River-Run being a logging town for softwoods, and Stonecross and Amberhill both being mining towns for stone and feldspar. Though the resources they each gather are extremely valuable, the harsh conditions in which people must endure has resulted in the highlands being largely unpopulated in comparison to the lowlands, with only around six thousand of the fifty thousand inhabitants of the kingdom living there. To the east of Northshire, following the river past The Cleft of Elwyr, a long-abandoned fortress named Mistward Keep lies. It was at this ancient fortress that the humans held out during the final days of the First War of the North and although people have been back a few times over the years, curious to find any ancient relics, nothing further has ever been found there. In the southern reaches of the highlands, the capital of the kingdom, Hyvern City lies. To the west of the grand city are the great Highback Mountains which serve as a natural barrier against attackers from that direction. To the east, is the iconic turquoise lake known as The Jewel of Hyvern, a massive stretch of water that is said to have mystical healing properties, likely due to the elven magic that still resides within the land some six centuries later. To the east of Hyvern, a gap in the Albarond Mountains named the Pass of Rhun allows access into Raelic, halving the travel time between Hyvern City and Rylera to just 30 days. Far south of Northshire, on the western bank of the kingdom and at the mouth of the Tam River is the small port town of Glimmerstone which makes use of its position as a trading hub for the materials harvested from the northern towns as well as being able to generate its own supply of timber and stone. South and east of here is another logging town, Longwood, which supplies the kingdom with a special type of timber unfound anywhere else in the world. It is unique in that it is remarkably slow burning and yet, still manages to burn extremely hot, perfect for the forges used to create weaponry and armour for The Prime Legion. Upon entering the Lowlands of Londar, the climate warms significantly and farming takes precedence over mining. Following the Tyr River south from Longwood is Southshire and the Southshire Woods, a port town that is directly connected to Claybank, The Jewel of Hyvern and Hyvern City via the Cale River. Any trade going to or from the capital will have no choice but to pass through this moderately large town in order to reach the ocean and so has become a beacon for trade. Much of the food used to feed the kingdom comes from the vibrant red grasslands that make up the better part of the lowlands, thousands of acres of fertile farmland are spread out between the Cale River and the town of Razor's Edge to the east. The Firefields of Londar are truly a spectacular sight to behold and although no major towns exist in the area, the region is littered with small villages too numerous to count. Over sixteen thousand people live in and around this one area. To the north of the Firefields is a vast forest known as The Everwoods and to the south is a much smaller pocket of trees known as The Grove. To the south and east of the kingdom, north of Razor's Edge, a vast lake is situated within The Tarn Valley, a place of spiritual healing and meditation. To the south is The Norland Vale and Angeldale. Towns * Amberhill * Angeldale * Bayton * Claybank * Glimmerstone * Longwood * Northshire/Wellshire * Razor's Edge * River-Run * Skarhorn * Southshire * Stonecross Mountain Ranges * Albarond Mountains * Crown Mountains * Highback Mountains Forests and Woods * Amber Woods * Red Woods * Southshire Woods * The Everwoods * The Grove * The Norland Vale Rivers * Cale River * Norlow River * Oxlow River * Tam River * Tyr River Places of Note * The Cleft of Elwyr * The Cliff Tree * Firefields of Londar * The Jewel of Hyvern * Mistward Keep * The Tarn Valley Notable People Royal line * Renoveld Borea * Anvel Borea * Avantis Borea * Raxis Borea * Paxil Borea * Tordil Borea Prime Legion * Phantom Commander Harkas * Wing Commander Gritte Orshan * Wing Commander Lundie Orshan * Commander Syd * Commander Erin * Commander Drelin * Commander Nedrick Wild Creatures Carnivores * Bears * Boars * Snowhunter * Wolves Herbivores * Critters * Dear * Horses Omnivores * Jacktyl * Silver Sprite * Skyfish Notes and Trivia * The environment is somewhat reminiscent of Scotland in the United Kingdom and the country itself is roughly the size of the UK. * The name may be a reference to the English capital city of London. * The name may also be a reference to a mysterious kingdom or city of magic in Dark Souls named Londor. * Hyvern City was first referenced in a Minecraft map that after many years of work, was irrevocably broken and subsequently never released. Many of the names from this project have been reused. Pictures of the work in progress map can still be found here. Category:Kingdoms